2021 was a record year for homicides in Portland
By SARA CLINE
Associated Press/Report For America
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — In 2021 Portland, Oregon, recorded 90 homicides amid a surge in gun violence, shattering the city’s previous high of 66 set more than three decades ago. The number of homicides in Portland surpassed more populous cities including San Francisco and Boston — and were more than double the number of slayings last year in its larger Pacific Northwest neighbor Seattle. City police and officials say last year’s increase — which disproportionally impacted Portland’s Black community — was fueled by gang-related arguments, drug deals gone array and disputes among people living on the streets and exacerbated by the pandemic, economic hardships and mental health crises.
